Second Chances
by Adrelaide
Summary: When Alec is tossed out of his home into the streets of Brooklyn, he barely manages to survive on his own. One night he dips into the darker side of the nightlife, only to get pulled back by a stranger. As Alec juggles the new drama of this second chance, he soon finds that he isn't the only one looking for another chance. AU. Angst. Fluff. Malec. Minor Clace Sizzy WillxTessaxJem
1. Chapter 1

**Second Chances. Chapter 1.**

Alec stood outside the local convenience store, eying the collection of junk food lying out on the shelves of the mini-mart. A large bag of chips was marked at $2.59, $1.78 more than what he had in his pocket. His stomach growled and Alec winced, leaning forward to rest his forehead against the cool glass of the store window. He had paid rent earlier, meaning that he was completely broke for the rest of the week, meaning that he was screwed.

He was out of cereal, and wasn't going to get paid until Friday. Two days from now. He needed food, or else he was in serious trouble. He looked around, staring down the dark streets of Brooklyn, wondering if he should try and chance the dumpsters in the dark alleys, or worse, stealing. He paused, realizing what he'd just considered, disgust rising in the pit of his chest. Tears of frustration pooled in his blue eyes, and he let out a shaky breath, trying to calm down.

It had been a mistake, the worst mistake possible. If he'd never come out to his father, he wouldn't be here, out on the streets, scraping by with two dead-end jobs, living in a rat-invested motel. He'd be home, with Isabelle, Max and his parents, welcoming back Jace when his brother got back from his lacrosse championship in Pennsylvania. Alec rubbed at his eyes, jumping when he heard someone cough next to him. He looked over to see a balding, middle-aged man, shorter than him, but twice as wide, staring at him with dark, beady eyes. He was dressed in a stained white dress shirt, his khakis tight around his waist, making a large bulge over the belt. He wasn't attractive at all, and Alec shifted away nervously.

"Are you okay?" The man wheezed, sounding like he'd been smoking for years. Alec nodded weakly, his eyes going back to the food displayed on the shelves.

"I'm fine." He replied, nearly falling away in shock when the older man grabbed onto his wrist. The grip was cold and clammy, and Alec struggled to yank his arm free. "Wha-"

"Are you hungry? I could give you some money." The man offered, and Alec froze, staring at him in surprise.

"You would?" He asked, surprised at the act of generosity. He came from a friendly suburban neighborhood where the people would help you out, no matter who you were. Neighbors watched kids out on the street while parents were busy at work in their rich home offices. He couldn't even begin to count the number of times his siblings had spent their afternoons with Clary's family. This part of town was so much different though, with muggers far more common than soccer moms. Alec hadn't expected to find any charity out here. "You would seriously do that?" The old man licked his lips, looking Alec over. A bad feeling stirred in the back of Alec's mind, tempered by hunger.

"Sure. I just need you to do something for me." Was all he said, leading Alec into the shadows of the alley next to the store.

* * *

Alec gagged, pulling away from the man, turning his face towards the brick wall of the alley. He could feel the semen drying against his cheek and struggled not to puke. Instead he scrubbed at his face with his sweater sleeve, leaving a translucent, white stain across the black fabric. He spat out the bit of cum that had gotten into his mouth, hissing at the taste. He swipe his other sleeve across his face, trying to get rid of any traces of what he'd just done, his skin rubbed raw in the cold night air.

"Fuck." The man groaned, and Alec looked up at him with wide eyes. The stranger was tucking himself back inside his pants, and Alec realized that he didn't even know his name. He'd given a complete stranger a blow job. His first blow job, for money.

"Oh god." Alec muttered, turning away, shame roaring through him like a fire. Did he seriously just do that? A small part of him wondered if the entire past week was a horrific nightmare, and that in just a few moments he'd snap awake when Max decided to jump on his bed like he did whenever Alec slept in.

"Was that your first time?" The man asked, and Alec could hear the leer in his voice. A flash of green to his right drew his attention, three $20 dollars bills fluttering to the ground at his feet. The bills were wrinkled and stained with god knows what. "Maybe we can practice again sometime, cutie." The old man winked at him, and Alec felt sicker then ever. He took a few shaky breaths, trying to calm down, fighting back tears. He hadn't even kissed a boy before, not seriously, and he'd just...Alec shuddered, wrapping his arms around him. The man had been gone for a few good minutes before Alec finally touched the cash, pocketing it in his dirty jeans. He still needed to go buy food for tonight. He replaced the shock of what he'd just done by working through how exactly he would spend the cash. Maybe he could phone home to check on Isabelle with some spare change. He knew his sister was going to cause trouble for the house after what his father had done.

He walked out of the alley, to distract to notice the person in front of him until he stumbled into them with a grunt. Alec scrambled back, staring up at a tall man. The stranger's hair was long and black, his eyes a bright green. A tattoo of a leaf was wrapped around his cheek. Alec, still a hormone-ridden teenager despite all that had happened to him, would have blushed at this man's appearance alone, but his eyes were cold, distant and completely unnerving. Alec's attention was slowly drawn beyond the man, spotting a group of equally beautiful women behind him. One woman in particular stood out from the crowd. Her hair was a riot of fiery waves that seemed to billow in the air despite the fact that there was no wind. Her gaze was as clear as crystal, piercing Alec where he stood.

"Well, well, he has graced us with his presence at long last." Her voice was clean like river water, and Alec was enthralled. He managed to tear his gaze away long enough to look at the other women in the group. All of them were different from the next, from hair to eye to skin color. The only other thing similar about them was the dark gleam in their eyes, as well as their beauty. Alec took a step back, suddenly nervous.

"What?" He asked, a snicker flowing through the crowd of women, completely malicious. The red-haired woman sighed, shaking her head.

"Men. All the same." Her waved her hand through the air. "Idiots." Alec spared a glance at the green-eyed stranger next to him, but the man's attention was fixed on the woman, fierce loyalty shining in his eyes. "You're in our territory." Alec looked back over to the woman, confused.

"Territory?" He repeated, and the woman sneered.

"You think you can take a _client_ from the Seelie Court and not face the consequences? This is our part of town, but since you're new, I'll be lenient. Hand over the money that man gave you, and get out of here. I won't ask twice." Alec looked at the woman, his hand digging into his pocket, clutching the wad of cash that was his lifeline for the rest of the week. He'd done something unthinkable to get this money. He couldn't just give it up.

"I..." He began, looking around, searching for a way out. The woman made a noise of annoyance.

"Meliorn." Alec scrambled out of the way when the green-eyed man lunged for him. He had enough experience practicing lacrosse with Jace to successfully avoid a few more swipes at him.

"Stop it!" He shouted, not wanting to end up on the wrong side of some gang. "Leave me alone!" The alleyway wasn't exactly a source of weapons to use in his defense, and even then Alec had never had any proper sort of weapon training. The most he had was gym class, and that didn't teach you how to beat people up.

"Pathetic." The woman sniffed, as if Alec's yells were the worst part of the whole ordeal. Alec was barely managing to avoid Meliorn's fingers in the tightness of the alleyway, ducking and weaving deftly, his shoes squeaking loudly against the ground. Fear caused his breathing to quicken, and he realized he was beginning to have a panic attack, his chest grow unbearably tight. Was this how he was going to die? In an alley, mugged by a gang?

"What's going on here?" A voice called out from the dark, and Meliorn froze, letting Alec fall back against the cool brick of the alley in a haze of gasps. Alec inhaled sharply, turning to look at the mouth of the alley. The red-haired woman and her gang had taken their attention off of Alec, what could almost be called fear on their faces. Alec followed their gaze to see a man dressed in riot of color.

He was in bedazzled, lavender leather pants, with an electric blue, mesh vest that fully showed the lean muscles along the stranger's stomach, barely covered by a jacket of dyed leather. His fingers were covered in various rings, all ranging from metal to costume jewelry. Glitter danced in his hair, pulled into spiky locks. His face was the most startling, a ring of red glitter ran around eyes so golden they had to be contacts, with a ring of emerald green eyeshadow around that. Slowly, the man's gaze drifted to Alec, before he smiled.

"You're new to the game, aren't you?" The man observed, walking forward. He moved too close to be considered comfortable, until Alec could smell what he thought was sandalwood coming of the man's skin. Alec found himself tilting his head up to stare at the stranger, unable to look away. Tall, Bright and Glitter-Covered bent over slightly, meeting Alec's eyes. "But you are cute, in a street-rat kind of way, that's certainly a plus." He leaned back, looking at the group of women and their one man. "He's with me, ladies." Alec cringed at the rage that twisted the faces of the women. The red-haired leader spoke up, clearly angry.

"Bane, you-"

"He's. With. Me." The man stated slowly, placing an arm around Alec's shoulders. Alec looked up at him, before looking to the group of women, seeing the wary expression on their faces. Mr. "I Can Make a Group of Angry Lesbians Back Off With a Look" rolled his eyes and made his way forward, dragging Alec with him. Alec looked behind him, seeing that the women weren't following.

"Um, I..."

"You're lucky I came when I did. The Seelie Queen and her faeries are like a pack of rottweilers, tearing into any young, fresh meat they can get at." The man spoke up as Alec struggled to keep pace with his long strides.

"Seelie Queen? Faeries? Like, real faeries?" Sparkles snorted, shaking his head.

"Of course not, everyone knows faeries don't exist." He looked down at Alec, a glimmer of affection in his eyes. "So tell me, cutie, what's an angel like you doing in this part of hell?" Alec flushed, ducking his head down.

"I...I live around here." He stated lowly, looking away. He heard the man laugh.

"No you don't. If you grew up around here, you'd be wandering around in ridiculously baggy jeans, a stupid hat and have six different addictions ranging from smoking to heroine." He gestured to the decaying buildings around him. "Try again." Alec could feel his cheeks tingling.

"I...I do live around here...I recently moved here is all. My parents kicked me out of the house." He explained, digging his fingers into the fabric of his dingy shirt. Glitter Knight shook his head, sounding sympathetic.

"Poor kid, but don't worry. Your parents will get over themselves and you'll be back by the end of the week." Alec stared at the ground, his heart aching as he thought of home.

"No, I don't think so." He murmured quietly, but his savior heard him.

"Why not?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious. Alec looked away, staring at the pavement. The man looked at him for a long moment, before turning his attention down the street. "So, where are you staying?" He asked, switching to a more comfortable subject. For the most part. Alec's fingers found the sixty dollars in his pants pocket.

"The motel on Saint St." He replied, cringing when he heard the man scoff.

"That place? Ridiculous. You could at least try for the hotel on 23rd." Regardless, he began walking in the direction of Alec's motel, his arm a comforting presence around Alec's shoulders. It reminded him of how Jace would walk with him after school on the way home. Alec pushed the memory away, tears prickling at his eyes.

"I don't have the money. I have two jobs, but it's a nightly thing so..." Alec trailed off, looking down at the pavement.

"I see." The man tilted his head to the side, looking at Alec. "So you tried the prostitute gig? I've got news for you, sweetheart. You're not cut out for that." Alec looked up at the man, his eyes wide.

"It was only one time, and I needed the money to buy food-" The stranger cut him off.

"It only takes one time for you to catch whatever disease that guy had. I suggest you get tested." He added, looking at Alec, his expression serious. Alec stumbled, stopping and looking at the man.

"But he didn't look like he was sick!" That guy could have had a disease? Like AIDS? Could he have caught it? Even if he only used his mouth? Alec could feel the blood rushing in his ears, nearly drowning out the man's next words.

"They never do until it's too late." The stranger's eyes were soft, looking at Alec with an unreadable expression. "Come on, it's late. I'll walk you back to your place. There's a clinic on the way, I'll point it out to you. Be sure to go to it first thing tomorrow morning." Alec barely heard him, his mind full of terror and panic. "What's your name?"

"A-Alec." He whispered, anxiety clawing at his throat, stopping the scream that threatened to slip through. The man nodded his head, his hand squeezing Alec's shoulder tightly.

"I'm Magnus. Magnus Bane."

* * *

A/N: Whooo! New story! This particular one has been lying around my desktop labeled as "Malec-Ho Story" but I felt that it needed to be posted. It'll include TID characters as well. :)

Reviews are loved~


	2. Chapter 2

**Second Chances. Chapter 2.**

"Are you going to be alright?" Alec turned to look at Magnus, his fingers on the door of his hotel room. His rescuer was looking at him with serious eyes. Alec dropped his gaze to the ground.

"I'll be fine." He winced when his stomach growled. "I need to grab dinner, but after that, I-"

"You haven't eaten yet?" Magnus asked, pulling out his cell phone and glancing at the screen. "It's nearly ten o'clock, when did you last eat?" He asked, watching Alec with a carefully blank expression. Alec paused, considering.

"Lunch." He answered, wilting under Magnus' hard stare. "Yesterday." He added, somewhat hesitantly. Magnus swore under his breath, reaching out to grab Alec's hand and tugging him away from the door. He turned to walk down the hallway, making sure to avoid a questionable stain on the carpet. "Wai-wait! Where are we going?" Alec sputtered, trying to pull his hand free. Magnus abruptly stopped, turning to look at him. Alec caught the flash of sympathy in his eyes and bristled. "I don't need your charity, I have money!" He said defensively, refusing to think of how he'd gotten it. The thoughts came anyways, words like 'disease' and 'death' drifting through his head. Alec inhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened his eyes again, Magnus was a lot closer, his hand on Alec's cheek.

"Are you okay?" Magnus asked, watching Alec carefully. Alec shook his head, feeling nauseous. "Do you need help?" Magnus' arms were already around Alec's waist, helping him along.

"Am I going to die?" Alec asked, his voice cracking. Magnus paused then, looking down at the teen. His expression was sad.

"We all die. It's just a matter of whether we ever truly lived." Magnus answered. Alec shook his head.

"I don't want to die! I'm eighteen, I can't die…not here, not like this." He thought of his hotel room, with the paper-thin comforter and the leaking shower head. He thought of that stranger, the one he'd…

"Come on." Magnus said softly, and they were walking again, Alec had no idea where. He was too miserable to care. He thought back to his home, to waking up to yell at Isabelle for hogging the bathroom, or wrestling Jace for the last piece of toast. It all seemed so childish now, and he wanted every second of it back. Alec barely glanced up when Magnus led him through a glass door. It was covered with golden letters that Alec didn't catch as Magnus pulled him inside.

They were in a hotel. That much was obvious, but it was all glass of gold and marble. Not like Alec's cheap room. The ceiling was high above, complete with an ornate crystal chandelier. The stairs that led to the upper floors were curved and lined with rich carpet. Alec didn't have time to feel bad for getting mud all over it because Magnus was pulling him along so fast he barely kept up.

"Why are we here?" Alec asked as Magnus led them towards an elevator. Magnus didn't answer, instead opting to pull out his wallet. It was a myriad of fabrics stitched together. Alec stared at the thick line of bills peaking from the top in mild awe. Magnus shimmied a white card from a sleeve and pressed it against a golden square to the right of the door. A small ding sounded and the doors slid open to show the inside of a glass elevator, the lights of the city twinkling at them like stars through the walls

"This is my place." Magnus answered once they were inside the elevator. He looked at Alec, offering him a smile. "Well, the top floor only, technically." He added at Alec's wide-eyed look. Another ding sounded and Magnus pulled Alec out of the elevator and down a short hallway. Alec could see that the wallpaper was hand-painted, and the carpet was even softer than the one on the stairs below. Magnus led him down the hallway to a set of double doors. They were made of carved wood, and had golden filigree handles, which Magnus opened with a click.

"You…live here?" Alec asked, as Magnus pulled him inside. At one time the apartment could have been all white walls and black marble floors with a touch of chrome, but Magnus had obviously done away with that idea. The living room was a collection of mismatched, bright couches, the floors covered with thick rugs. Paint splattered the walls haphazardly, much like Magnus had just thrown the bucket anywhere he wanted. The space was also cluttered with various things, whether it was books, pillows, DVD cases and even feathers. Glitter seemed to twinkle from every surface. Alec blinked a few times to get adjusted.

"Yeah. What do you think?" Magnus asked, busy prying off his painted boots. He dropped the shoes on the side of the door before taking a few steps into his home. Alec studied the swirl of colors that made up the polish on the man's toes. "Alec?" The teen looked up sharply at Magnus' amused face.

"It's bright." He answered, pausing and ducking his head down in embarrassment. Magnus laughed while Alec scrambled to undo the laces on his own worn boots.

"It is." He agreed with affection. He waited until Alec had managed to slip his shoes off, before making his way further into the apartment. "What did you want to eat?" Magnus asked, turning left and disappearing. Alec walked after him, surprised to find he was in a kitchen. Compared to the rest of the house the kitchen was spotless, with only a small pile of dishes in the sink. Magnus was peering into a refrigerator, frowning. Alec couldn't help but ask.

"What's wrong?" He looked into the refrigerator, staring at the shelves of food with envy. He hadn't seen a fridge so full since he'd left his parents house.

"Well, I've got a lot of ingredients." Magnus pondered aloud, still frowning. He pulled out a bell pepper. "But I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with them." Alec couldn't help but laugh at the confusion on Magnus' face.

"Here, let me see." He said, looking into the fridge and pulling open a few drawers to see what's inside. "I could put something together." He said after a long moment. Magnus looked at him in surprise.

"Really?" He asked with a touch of suspicion. Alec closed the fridge and nodded.

"My mom's always busy at work, and my sister's cooking is horrible." Alec shuddered at the memory. "And neither of my brothers can work a stove without setting something on fire," willingly in Jace's case "so I'd have to stealth cook for the family."

"Stealth cook." Magnus repeated, admiration crawling into his voice. Alec nodded, already digging through Magnus' cabinets. He pulled out a large pot and a pan.

"Yeah. You can't tell Isabelle that she can't cook, she'd murder you. So Jace and Max would distract her and I'd switch the pots when she wasn't looking, and tada, we could eat in peace." Alec filled one pot with water before pulling a box of spaghetti from one of Magnus' drawers. "You don't shop for yourself, do you?" Alec asked over his shoulder. Magnus was seated at the kitchen table, watching the teen work, his expression undeniably warm.

"The housekeeper does. She comes by every week with groceries and to try to clean." Magnus gestured vaguely towards the living room. Alec couldn't help but laugh, and Magnus grinned. "You should do that more often." Alec looked at him.

"What?"

"Laugh. Smile. All of it really. You're so adorable when you're happy." Alec stared at Magnus.

"…what?" He repeated, his voice weak. Magnus slid off his chair, walking over to stand in front Alec.

"You're cute." Magnus said, quieter this time. He leaned forward, his eyes half-lidded. Alec jerked back, nearly falling into the sink.

"I…I, I don't…" Alec covered his mouth with his hand. What if he was sick? Couldn't Magnus get it somehow by touching him? Should he even be cooking the food? Suddenly sleeping through the STI bit in health class seemed like the worst mistake of his life. "I'm going to be sick." He realized as nausea rolled in his stomach.

"The bathroom's across the hall, Alec-" Alec pushed past Magnus, stumbling into the bathroom before his stomach emptied. Alec gagged, tearing up as bile burned his throat. There wasn't anything in his stomach to bring up, save whatever had managed to make it down his throat from that guy's-Alec choked, gripping the sides of the toilet tightly. He reached out, flushing the toilet before climbing to his feet and looking into the bathroom mirror. His face was pale, the bags under his eyes as dark as his hair. How could Magnus think he was cute? He looked like a mess. He was skinnier too, the rare splurge of junk food did that to a body. He turned on the faucet and thoroughly rinsed out his mouth, gagging as the taste of tap water made his stomach roll. Maybe he could hide in the bathroom for the rest of the night and leave before Magnus thought to come after him. He jumped when there was a knock on the door.

"Alec, are you alright?" Magnus asked, leaning in the doorway of the bathroom and looking concerned. There was a small glass of blue liquid in his hand that Alec eyed warily. "It's Gatorade." Magnus explained. "To get the taste out of your mouth." He added, handling Alec the glass. Alec nodded, taking a small sip, glad the drink didn't turn his stomach. Magnus reached out to place a hand on Alec's cheek. "Maybe you should get some sleep." Magnus said, and Alec paused, his gaze on the floor.

"Magnus…"

"Yes?"

"What you did, you were going to kiss me, weren't you?" Alec asked lowly, taking another sip of his Gatorade.

"Yes." Magnus answered candidly, and Alec looked up at him sharply.

"But I could be sick, I could be dying and-"

"Alec. I told you once before, we're all dying." Magnus cut him off, and Alec paused, realization dawning.

"Do you have…?" He began, horrified.

"No." Magnus answered calmly, "But that doesn't mean I'm not dying. We all die one day, whether it's tomorrow or the next day or ten or fifty years from now. If I want to kiss someone, I'll kiss them. And I wanted to kiss you. I still do." Alec was shocked by the simple way Magnus spelled it out.

"Aren't you afraid of dying?" He asked. Magnus shrugged a shoulder.

"What good would that bring? I lock my doors at night because it's sensible, not because I'm afraid someone's going to crawl in and stab me in my sleep. I could very well walk in front of a bus tomorrow, or this building could burn down the day after. Me being afraid isn't going to change that."

"Oh." Magnus smiled at Alec gently.

"But that's just me. And I've had plenty of friends tell me that I'm an idiot for thinking like that." His hand rose to cup Alec's cheek. "But I do want to kiss you still." Alec looked away.

"I could get you sick."

"You could." Magnus agreed, "But you might not even be sick at all. Have you even thought about that possibility?" Alec had, but it seemed like the least possible solution.

"I feel sick." He admitted, wondering if Magnus would change his mind then.

"You're in shock. You've had a lot of trouble thrown your way recently." Magnus grabbed Alec's hand, tugging him out of the bathroom. "Come on, let's get you in a bed." He said, leading Alec down a hallway. Alec's gaze rested on where their hands were joined.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked suddenly. Magnus paused outside a door, looking over to him.

"Can't I show a little charity?" Magnus opened the door and revealing a sparse, yet colorful, room. There was a bed in one corner, the comforter was a bright purple, the pillows a cheery striped mix of red, blue and white. There was a short dresser next to the bed that looked like it was covered in black sequins, the lamp on top of it had a shade in the shape of was might have been an aardvark. Alec was only momentarily distracted by the strange decoration. He looked back at Magnus.

"Yeah, to little kids or stray cats. Not some idiot that got kicked out by his parents."

"As the one dishing out the charity, I feel like my selection process shouldn't be criticized by the person I'm charitizing." Magnus retorted, leading Alec into the room and towards the bed.

" 'Charitizing' is not a word." He said, tensing when Magnus took the glass from his hand.

"It gets the point across." Magnus set the drink on the dresser. "Do you need clothes?" Alec shook his head.

"I don't, I-"

"Then rest, Alec." Magnus smiled at him. It was the kind of smile that someone gave you when you'd done something wonderful for them. It was sincere and grateful and Alec felt himself crumble to pieces in response.

"I'm not worth it." He heard himself blubber and pressed his lips together tightly. Magnus looked alarmed.

"What?" Alec scrubbed a sleeve over his eyes, grating away tears.

"I'm not worth your charity. You should be spending it on someone who deserves it." He choked out, stepping away from Magnus.

"Alec…" Magnus stepped forward, chasing after him. "You need to stop thinking like that. If you let yourself think that you're nothing more than a smudge on the face of the earth then that's all you'll ever be."

"That's all I am! You want to know why my parents kicked me out? Because I'm gay!" Alec bit his lip, looking away.

"I know." Magnus said, as if it was obvious.

"You don't get it-"

"I do. And I want you to remember this Alec." Magnus stepped forward, gripping Alec's shoulders firmly. "There are worse people in the world. A man who would have unsafe sex with a teenager for pocket change. A group of women that would harass that same boy for doing what needed to be done to survive. A family that would throw out their son because he can't help who he is." Alec choked, trying to pull away. "Don't run away from the truth, because you can't and you shouldn't. Everything you've done up to this point was to survive, right?"

"I…yes."

"Then keep surviving." Magnus pulled Alec in closer, not relaxing his grip when Alec tried to back away. "I'm not going to kiss you if you don't want it. Come here." Alec let himself be tugged in, tensing when Magnus wrapped his arms around his body and into a hug. Magnus smelled earthy and spicy and Alec couldn't help but bury his face into the man's shirt and inhale. "You can spend the night in the spare room. Tomorrow we'll talk about your living arrangements." That got Alec's attention. He pulled away with wide eyes, staring at Magnus.

"What did you just say?"

"The spare room? There's a bed an-" Alec shook his head wildly.

"No! After that." Magnus smiled at him, that same sincere smile that brought tears to his eyes.

"About living here? What about it?"

"You don't even know me!" Alec said, turning away so Magnus couldn't see his face.

"I know enough to tell that you're a good person." Magnus answered.

"I could be lying to you." Alec said shakily. "I could go crazy and kill you in your sleep or something."

"I also know enough to know that you're a bad actor." Magnus added, reaching down to grab Alec's hand. He led Alec back outside, to another bathroom. "And that you could probably use a shower, no offense."

There was a large counter and mirror that took up the left wall. A sink sank into the counter, surrounded by an array of what Alec assumed was kinds of soap. The other side of the room contained a shower and separate tub. The shower had glass walls and the bathtub was large enough to hold at least two people. Everything was marble or glass or gold. Two doors sat against the back wall. Magnus released Alec's hand to walk over and open one. Alec saw a brightly colored collection of towels. "Pick a color!" Magnus called out behind him.

"Uh, black?" Alec said, earning a sour look from the man. Magnus pulled out a blue towel, setting it on the bathroom counter.

"It matches your eyes." He supplied. "I don't own black towels. Shower time is fun time, after all." He walk over, looking Alec up and down. "Wait here a moment." He said, leaving Alec to stare around the bathroom awkwardly while he disappeared out the door. Alec wondered how much money Magnus actually had. Was he from a rich family or something? Magnus reentered the room carrying a bundle of brightly colored cloth that Alec eyed warily.

"What's that?"

"A change of clothes. Now strip and get soapy so you can sleep." Magnus set the clothes on the counter next to the towel, lifting at brow at Alec's scandalized look. "What's wrong?"

"You…you're gay too, right?" Alec asked, wrapping his arms around his waist defensively. Magnus grinned at him.

"I'm not too particular about what my partners have going on down south." Alec sputtered at this, looking away. "Either way, there's no need to be modest. We're both men, and I plan on getting some of that soon enough-"

"Magnus!" Alec screeched. Magnus winced, before letting out a melodramatic sigh.

"Though I suppose the modesty is what makes you so attractive. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Magnus exited the bathroom once again, not without pausing to wink at Alec.

* * *

A/N: Whooooo on a roll~! You can expect an update for VMtHGF as well, since that's in it's final stages of editing.

Reviews are loved!


	3. Chapter 3

**Second Chances. Chapter 3.**

Alec lied nestled in Magnus's spare bed, feeling unbearably cold. The room, which had seemed so much brighter earlier in the evening had turned into a twisted setting that was worse than the nightmares that he kept waking up from. Alec had dreamt of coughing up blood, his fingers and limbs falling off, and worse of all, his family absent from his funeral, ashamed to call him their son. Alec didn't want to close his eyes, too afraid of what waited in the pits of his mind.

He dragged the comforter around him, cocooning himself inside and hoping to get a little warmer. It felt like he was dead already, wrapped in his own burial cloth and set to die. The thought made him throw off the comforter and roll onto his side, wanting to escape the confining fabric. He sat up in bed, rubbing his cold arms and wondered if he was really dying right now. It felt like it, but he'd been feeling that way since earlier in the evening. Should he go ask Magnus? Alec felt like he would know, but he was probably asleep, and he'd given Alec not only a bed, but the first hot shower he'd had in weeks. Magnus had also told him to accept his offer of charity, something that Alec was hesitant to do. His father had always told them that charity didn't really exist. Either someone what going to collect on the receiver's end (the thought of Magnus kissing him or worse came to mind) or Magnus was getting something out of it. But what could Magnus get from helping Alec out? His family wasn't rich, it wasn't like he could collect a ransom of sorts. Alec was juggling the thought in his head when he heard the floorboards creak. He froze, looking out into the room with wide eyes. Maybe Magnus was planning on having him be the sacrifice to whatever creepy ghost was living in his spare room. It seemed completely normal compared to the neon the man seemed delighted to decorate his home with.

Alec nearly yelled when a pair of yellow eyes appeared over the side of his bed. He grit his teeth, scooting away on the bed and taking in the way they reflected off the thing light coming from the window. It took a terrifying moment for him to realize the eyes belonged to a white tabby.

"Oh." Alec breathed out a sigh. "Are you Magnus' cat?" He asked. The cat mewed, crawling up onto the bed and proceeding to rub his face into Alec's stomach. "Glad I'm not allergic." Alec mumbled, patting the cat gently. The cat purred in response, burrowing its way against Alec's chest to rest in his lap. Alec wasn't an animal person per say. He had a cat back home, but Church ignored you on his good days unless you were Max, who fed him. It felt better though, knowing that he wasn't alone in the world, as silly as it sounded. Magnus was right down the hall, but he was a total stranger. And besides Magnus there was no one else. He hadn't made contact with any of his family members, partly because he didn't have the money, and mainly because he was afraid of what they'd say. Magnus' cat seemed perfectly fine with showering him with purrs and snuggles that Alec seriously needed it right now. He shifted back until he was lying down on the bed, to which Magnus' cat responded by proceeding to burrow his way into the crook of Alec's neck. The white tabby curled into a purring ball, Alec's fingers running through the soft fur until he fell asleep.

* * *

"Good Morning." Magnus greeted from the living room couch, a steaming cup in hand. Alec rubbed at his eyes, wondering how the man had found a space to sit in all of his clutter. "Have a good rest?"

"A bit, yeah." Alec yawned, walking towards the older man and peering at his cup in interest. "Is that coffee?" He asked hopefully. Magnus chuckled, nodding his head.

"There's a pot in the kitchen, cups are in the cabinet right above it." He told Alec, who immediately made a beeline for the caffeine. The cat that had spent the night in Alec's room trailed out after the Lightwood, meowing loudly in greeting. Magnus regarded the feline with surprise.

"You spent the night with Alec, did you?" He leaned over until he could see Alec in the archway of the kitchen with a mug of his own. "He must like you."

"Your cat's nice." Alec said, reentering the room. He reached down and picked the tabby up with his free hand. The feline was purring loudly, in that way that clearly said 'this human pleases me'.

"No, Chairman Meow is completely vicious and will maul the ankles of any intruder that enters his domain without a catnip toy. I suppose you're a lucky exception though." Magnus stood up, walking over and poking at the cat's stomach. He nearly got his finger shredded off in the process.

"Chairman Meow." Alec repeated. Magnus smiled proudly.

"An excellent name, isn't it? Only the best for my little devil incarnate." Magnus chirped, pulling the cat out of Alec's arms and into his own and proceeding to snuggle him. Alec felt his stomach rumble with hunger. Magnus grinned at him. "Are you hungry?"

"Um..." Alec felt his cheeks tingle with embarrassment. Magnus turned away, walking down the hallway, Chairman in hand.

"Well, how about you show me your stealth cooking skills?" Magnus tossed over his shoulder as he disappeared into his kitchen.

"S-sure!" Alec replied, following Magnus through the archway. "Did you want anything in particular, or...?"

"Surprise me." Magnus said, sitting down at the kitchen counter and watching Alec curiously. Alec paused, looking to Magnus for a moment before taking a second to organize his thoughts. An idea popped in his head, and he went to work. He opened the refrigerator, pulling out the ingredients he needed. Alec moved quickly, remembering the days spent darting behind Isabelle's back when Jace and Max had distracted her. He'd been so set on not getting caught and making something edible, that he'd learned to adapt to just about every cooking disaster imaginable.

It was obvious that Magnus didn't know a think about cooking, judging by the fact that he was watching Alec cook with an expression of mild confusion.

"You dip the bread _into_ the egg? The _raw _egg?"

"Yes..?" Alec said, tossing the French toast onto the frying pan on the stove. The pan gave out a hiss and Alec lowered the heat considerably before looking back at Magnus. "You've never had French toast before? Not even when you were younger?" Magnus shrugged, looking away.

"My family ate Asian cuisine growing up, American food is a mystery to me outside of pizza and take out."

"Pizza is Italian." Alec remarked, and Magnus sighed.

"There you go. My knowledge of American cuisine in a nutshell." Alec snorted, flipping the French toast over with a spatula, pleased to see the other side was a nice golden brown. The kitchen lapsed into a comfortable silence, save the sizzle of the pan and Chairman Meow's cries for attention. When Alec was done, he set three slices of French toast down in front of Magnus, cinnamon sugar sprinkled over the food. Magnus accepted the fork from Alec, cutting into the french toast and taking an experimental bite. Alec watched, standing next to the man, relaxing slightly when Magnus' expression melted into complete bliss.

"This...is completely delicious." Magnus complimented, looking as though he was trying to wrap his mind around the meal. Alec sat down across from him, cutting his way through his own slice of French toast.

"It's just French toast."

"Your French toast completely delicious." Magnus repeated, for lack of a better compliment, having always gone through his second slice.

"I don't mind making you some more when you want it." Alec said, shifting in his chair nervously. Magnus hummed, sucking on his fork in a way that could be considered inappropriate.

"Well, I would hope so, considering the fact that you're going to be staying here from now on." He replied easily. He sent Alec a lazy smile, looking like a cat with a full stomach.

"Staying here?" Alec repeated, last night's conversation rushing back to him. Magnus tilted his head to the side, still smiling at him. "I-I can't stay here!"

"But you need a place to stay, right? Other than that dingy hotel?" Alec looked away, gritting his teeth.

"I don't want your pity!" Magnus rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair.

"It's not pity. It's an exchange. I'm offering you a job." Alec opened his mouth, before abruptly shutting it again. He looked at Magnus amused expression, before choking out a few words.

"I-what? You-you're offering me what?"

"A job. As my cook." Magnus ran a finger across his empty plate, before licking the cinnamon sugar off his fingertips critically. "I could honestly eat your French toast for the rest of my life. But I'm curious about the rest of your stealth cooking." He grinned at Alec's dumbstruck face. "What's wrong?"

"A job as your cook?" Alec repeated, his head spinning. "Just like...that?"

"Yes, in exchange for room and board." Magnus informed him pleasantly. "It's really nice when you think about how pricey New York homes are. We could draw up a contract if you want." Alec's mind struggled to wrap itself around Magnus' words. Was it really that easy?

"Uh, yeah. I mean, yes, please." Alec corrected himself, still staring at Magnus in surprise. Magnus laughed.

"No need to get formal, Alec darling." Magnus stood up, walking over to the living room and grabbing a paper-thin laptop out of the din. "I typed up the rough draft of the contract last night." He explained, sitting down next to Alec and opening the computer. Alec saw Magnus' desktop image first. It was of Magnus, who looked a bit younger than now, along side a blonde man with green eyes and glasses. They were both laughing, their arms wrapped around each other with what looked like Central Park in the background.

"Who's that?" Alec asked as Magnus brought up a word document. Magnus didn't say anything at first, earning a confused look from the teen. "Magnus?"

"Woolsey. A friend." Magnus finally said, pointing at the lines of text. "You never told me your full name. What is it?" Alec looked at Magnus' face, taking in the tight lines along his mouth.

"Just a friend?" Alec questioned slowly. Magnus sent him an exasperated look.

"Alec."

"Because you aren't holding each other like friends." Alec thought back to Magnus gripping his hand and leaning in to kiss him last night. What was he? Magnus' mistress or something? "Where is he now?"

"Are you jealous?" Magnus shot back with enough venom to sting. He started when he saw the look on Alec's face. "Alec, I-"

"Lightwood." Alec clasped his hands together tightly, staring resolutely at the contract. "It's Alexander Lightwood." He said lowly, not meeting Magnus's eyes. Magnus opened his mouth to say something, but instead he turned to the contract and began typing.

"Here. Read this over and let me know what you think." Magnus handed Alec the laptop, who stared at the screen, processing words like 'conditions', 'expectations' and 'payment' and storing them away with what Magnus had written under them.

"...I'm cooking all of your meals?" Alec asked finally. Magnus shrugged his shoulders.

"Just keep something I can heat up in the fridge. I eat at weird hours, and you're not my personal butler after all. You can take vacations if you want too. With due forewarning, of course." Magnus accepted the laptop back when Alec handed it to him without another word. "Well?"

"It's good. I accept." Alec said, as if he had a choice in the matter.

* * *

A/N: A bit of a slow chapter, this one. But don't worry, things pick up in the next, I promise. ;)

Reviews are adored!


End file.
